Filling fork well cleaner



July 19, 1955 w, CARROLL 2,713,358

FILLING FORK WELL CLEANER Filed Jan. 8, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .NLU

m INVENTOR: 3 "HOWARD W. CARRQLL.

ATTORNEYS July 19, 1955 H. W CARRQLL FILLING FORK WELL CLEANER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 8, 1954 INVENTOR.

"40 How/x121: W. CARROLL.

United States Patent FILLING FORK WELL CLEANER Howard W. Carroll, Rock Hill, S. (3.

Application January 8, 1954, Serial No. 402,889

2 Claims. (Cl. 139--379) This invention relates to looms and, more especially, to an improvement in filling fork well cleaners of the type disclosed in my prior Patent Number 2,577,449 issued December 4, 1951.

The lay associated with some types of looms is provided with a transverse groove or filling fork well intermediate the ends thereof in which a center filling fork moves upon each beat-up stroke of the lay. Other types of looms are provided with an end filling fork well adjacent one of the shuttle boxes into which the lower portion of an end filling fork extends upon each beat-up stroke of the lay and which end filling fork well has a fork grate therein past which a filling yarn extends upon alternate beat-up strokes of the lay.

Other types of looms are provided with both the center filling fork well as well as an end filling fork well at one or both ends of the lay. In any event, the purpose of both types of filling forks is to effect operation of a conventional stop motion of the loom for stopping the loom in the absence of a filling yarn being thrown across the lay.

In the above-named prior patent, the means is provided for automatically cleaning the filling fork Well during continuous operation of the loom, in order to insure operation of the center filling fork only, which means comprises a tubular member which extends past the center filling fork well at the rear of the lay or adjacent the reed associated therewith and this tubular member has a plurality of openings therein and an automatically operable means is provided for introducing a blast of compressed air into the tubular member to be ejected through said openings therein upon each beat-up stroke of the lay for dislodging or blowing away any accumulation of lint or the like adjacent and in the center filling fork well.

In the above-mentioned patent the compressed air is directed to the tubular member and exhausted through the openings therein upon each successive beat-up stroke of the lay. The blast of compressed air from the tubular member quite often causes the filling yarn to crinkle, curl, or become looped or knotted, resulting in imperfect cloth.

Whereas it is necessary to drill holes in the lay of the loom in order to install the type filling fork well cleaner disclosed in said prior patent, it is unnecessary to drill any holes in any parts of the loom for installing the improved filling fork well cleaner as embodied in the present application. To this end, the tubular member extends from the filling fork wells to be cleaned thereby and passes from the lay adjacent one of the lay swords and is connected to one end of a cylinder carried by the corresponding lay sword and having a piston therein to which one end of a piston rod is connected, said piston rod normally being resiliently urged rearwardly relative to the cylinder and the lay sword. The rear end of the piston rod has a follower thereon which is adapted to engage a cam member or abutment carried by the loom frame in the course of each backward or inactive stroke of the lay and which, in so doing, causes the cylinder to move rearwardly relative to the piston and piston rod "ice for directing compressed air into the tubular member during the course of each successive backward or inactive stroke of the lay.

It is therefore the primary object of this invention to provide an improved filling fork Well cleaner of the character described which is simpler and of more economical construction than is the filling fork well cleaner described in said prior patent and wherein an improved means is provided for directing compressed air into the u tubular member to be exhausted through the openings therein in the course of each inactive or backward stroke of the lay, as contrasted to the beat-up stroke in said patent.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved filling fork well cleaner which is so arranged as to remove accumulations of lint or other foreign matter from the end filling fork well or wells as well as the center filling fork well.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a fragmentary top plan view showing a portion of one side and the front of a loom and showing the lay thereof with the improved filling fork well cleaner associated therewith;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 in Figure l and showing the tubular member in an end filling fork well of the lay;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional plan view taken substantially along line 3-3 in Figure 2 showing the manner in which the cylinder is supported on the lay sword and the means for actuating the plunger or piston therein;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view similar to the lower portion of Figure 1, with portions broken away;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 55 in Figure 4 and also showing a portion of an end filling fork mechanism with the lower end of the end filling fork positioned in the corresponding filling fork well and showing the manner in which the filling fork well cleaner tube is positioned in the end filling fork well adjacent the filling grate;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5, but being taken substantially along line ti -6 in Figure 4 and showing the tubular member extending through the slot defined between the lay and the loose reed holder;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along line 7-7 in Figure 5;

Figure v8 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, mostly in elevation, taken substantially along line 88 in Figure 6.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates one of the side frame members, the upper front end of which is secured, in a conventional manner to a conventional breast beam 11. The loom side frame member 10 also supports a conventional bearing block 12 in which one end of a crankshaft 14 is mounted for rotation. Only a part of the crankshaft 14 is shown and this crankshaft is driven in a well known manner and is provided with cranks 15, only one of which is shown in Figure l. The crank 15 has the rear end of a pitman rod 16 rotatably mounted thereon the front end of the pitman rod 16 being oscillatably connected, as at 17, to a sword 20. The lower end of the sword 20 (Figure 2) is fixedly mounted on a conventional rocker shaft 21 which is mounted for oscillation in the loom side frame member 10 and in a similar loorn side frame member, not shown, disposed at the other side of the loom.

A sword similar to sword 20 is disposed adjacent the right hand side frame member, but the other sword and right hand side frame member are not shown in the drawings. The swords suitably support a conventional lay 22, this lay 22 having conventional shuttle boxes broadly designated at 23 and disposed on opposite ends thereof, only one of which is shown in Figure l, for the reception of a shuttle indicated at 230. The shuttle box 23 includes a conventional shuttle box bottom plate 24 whose upper surface is disposed in substantially the same plane as a race plate or shuttle race 25.

There are many types of lays with which the present invention may be used and the particular type of lay shown in the drawings is shown by way of illustration only, it being understood that the present invention may be used with any type of lay. The particular lay shown in the drawings is of the type such as is usually employed in association with looms of the Model XL and Model XB types manufactured by the Draper Corporation of Hopedalc, Mass.

A conventional reinforcing angle bar is fixed to .1-

the lower surface of the lay 22 and extends substantially the full length of the lay, usually terminating at opposite ends thereof short of the shuttle boxes 23. The lay 22 is provided with a groove extending substantially the entire length thereof between the shuttle boxes 23 for reception of a loose reed holder 31 which is hcld in spaced relation to the rear surface of the lay 22 by conventional spacing or adjustment bolts, not shown, and which is held against the spacing bolts by conventional loose reed clamp hooks 32, there being a plurality of such clamp hooks.

The reed clamp hooks 32 slidably penetrate the lay 22 and are surrounded by a suitable compression spring 33, (Figure 1) which bears against nuts 34 on the reed clamp hooks 32 at their front ends thereof. The rear ends of the reed clamp hooks 32 bear against the rear surface of the loose reed to thus normally urge the loose reed against such conventional spacing means provided therefor, not shown, between the front surface of the loose reed holder 31 and the rear surface of the lay 22. Thus a groove 35 is formed between the rear surface of the lay 22 and the front surface of the loose reed holder 31.

The loose reed holder 31 supports the lower edge of a conventional loose reed 36 and also supports a conventional yarn guiding rod 37. The loose reed holder 31 is supported or cradled in a reinforcing loose reed angle arm 40. The warp yarns Y are formed into fabric F upon each beat-up stroke of the lay 22 in a conventional manner and the fabric passes over the breast beam after which the fabric extends downwardly to a suitable cloth take up mechanism, not shown.

The lay 22 and the race plate 25 are cut away to form a center filling fork well 41 and at least one end of the race plate 25 is spaced from the corresponding shuttle box bottom plate 24 and at which point the lay 22 is also cut away to form an end filling fork well 42, the center filling fork well 41 being disposed intermediate the ends of the lay and both of the filling fork wells 41 and 42 extending transversely of the lay 22.

A conventional center filling fork 43 is adapted to fall into, or to be moved into, the center filling fork well 41 upon the absence of the filling yarn being thrown across the lay to be beat-up by the reed 36 upon a subsequent beat-up stroke. The tines 44 of a conventional end filling fork mechanism broadly designated at 45 also depend into the corresponding end filling fork well 42, as shown in Figure 5, and, in the absence of a filling yarn being thrown across the lay, the tines 44 of the filling fork mechanism 45 move into slots in a conventional filling fork grate 46 whose lower portion is disposed in the end fork well 42 and which is disposed adjacent the corresponding end of the reed 36. The grate 46 is suitably secured to the lay 22.

Both of the filling forks 43 and 44 are instrumental is surrounded by a compression spring 55.

in effecting operation of the conventional stop motion of the loom, not shown, in the event that they do not engage a filling yarn in the course of each beat-up stroke of the lay 22. To this end, the prongs of the filling fork 43 are suitably secured at their front ends on a conventional center filling fork prong holder 47 oscillatably mounted in a center fork bracket The center filling fork holder 47 has a substantially L-shaped extension 51 extending through one side of the center fork bracket which is normally urged against the upper surface of a center filling fork cam 52 by a torsion spring 53. The center filling fork cam 52 is fixed on a reciprocating center fork knock-off rod 54 which is mounted for reciprocation in the bracket 50 and one end of which One end of the compression spring 55 bears against bracket 50 and the other end thereof bears against an abutment 56 on the rod 54.

Conventional means, not shown in the present drawings but being clearly shown in said prior patent causes the rod 54 to move from right to left in Figure 4 in the course of each backward or inactive stroke of the lay 22 so the rod 54 is resiliently moved from left to right in Figure 4 by the compression spring 55 in the course of each successive beat-up stroke of the lay.

As shown in said prior patent, the center fork knock off cam 52 is so formed as to move the prong or tines of the center filling fork 4-3 upwardly or toward the observer in Figure 4 as the knock-off rod 5 1 moves from right to left by conventional means, not shown, during each backward movement of the lay 22 so that, as a filling yarn is thrown across the lay, it passes beneath the prongs of the center filling fork 43 to hold the prongs of the filling fork '53 in raised position as the spring 55 subsequently causes the rod 54 to move from left to right in Figure 4.

However, in the event a filling yarn is not thrown across the lay, upon the following beat-up stroke thereof, the torsion spring 53 moves into the center filling fork well 41 below the level of the upper surface of the race place 25 which restrains movement of the knock-off rod 54 from left to right in Figure 4 which operates in a conventional manner to actuate the conventional knock-off mechanism, not shown, for stopping the loom. The structure associated with the center filling fork 43 and the manner in which it operates is clearly described in said prior patent and a further detailed illustration and description thereof is thus deemed unnecessary, particularly in view of the fact that the operation of the center filling fork operating cam is well known in the art.

The end filling fork 44- is pivotally mounted in the free end of a conventional filling fork slide 60 mounted for forward and rearward movement in a conventional filling motion stand 61 and the filling fork slide 60 has a conventional filling motion hook 62 associated therewith which is caused to move to and fro by conventional means, not shown, but being well known to those familiar with the art. This conventional filling motion hook 62 moves forwardly in the course of each beat-up stroke of the lay 22 and in the absence of a filling yarn being disposed across the front face of the grate 46, the prongs yarn then causes the end filling fork 44 to swing in a clockwise direction in Figure 5 so the loop 63 is raised above the filling motion hook 62 and thereby prevents the filling motion hook 62 to move forwardly to thus permit the loom to continue its operation. The structure and operation of the filling motion 45, including the end filling fork 44, the slide 60, and the filling motion hook or snake-head 62 are well known in the art and a further description thereof is also deemed unnecessary.

The parts of the loom heretofore described are conventional and constitute no part of the present invention and it is with such parts that the present invention is adapted to be associated.

Heretofore, during continuous operation of the loom, a considerable amount of lint, fibres and other fine matter would accumulate in both of the filling fork wells 41 and 42, on the center filling fork knock-off cam 52 and on the grate 46. This would result in failure of the prongs of the filling fork 44 to move into the slots in the grate 46, due to the fact that the accumulation of lint in the filling fork wells would restrict movement of the prongs of the filling forks 41 and 44 in the event a weft or filling yarn is not thrown across the lay, or the accumulation of lint in the cam 52 would restrict movement of the extension 51 and, therefore, the loom would continue to operate although a filling or weft yarn may not have been thrown across the lay and this would result in imperfect fabric being woven.

Heretofore, in order to avoid excessive accumulations of lint in the filling fork wells 41 and 42 and on the grate 46 or on the center filling fork knock-off cam 52, it has been necessary for the operator to stop the loom periodically and to manually remove the lint or other fallen matter from the filling forks, the filling fork wells and the grate. This invention provides means for preventing accumulations of lint in either of the filling fork wells 41 and 42, on the grate 46 or on the cam 52 and, further, by means of compressed air wherein the blasts of compressed air are directed across the corresponding parts in the course of each backward stroke of the lay rather than with each forward stroke thereof which has been objectionable with the type of filling fork well cleaners described in said prior patent.

The improved filling work well cleaner comprises a cylinder 70 (Figures 1, 2 and 3) which may be of any desired construction and is shown as being closed at its right hand end in Figure 3, as at 71. The closure member 71 has a suitable check valve 72 mounted therein which permits air to enter the cylinder 70 but prevents air from escaping therefrom. The check valve 72 may be of any desired or conventional construction, and a detail description thereof is deemed unnecessary. The closure member 71 also has a pipe fitting 73 connected thereto for communication with the interior of the cylinder 70 and which has a suitable ball check valve 74 therein which permits compressed air to pass from the cylinder 79 into a pipe or tube 75, communicatively connected to the outer end of the pipe fitting 73, but which prevents air from being drawn into the cylinder 70 through the pipe 75. The purpose of the pipe will be later described.

The left-hand end of the cylinder 70 in Figure 3 is closed by a cylinder head member 76 fixed in the cylinder 70 and in which a piston rod or plunger 77 has axial sliding movement. The piston rod 77 has a piston in the form of a cup washer 80 mounted on the inner end thereof and held in place by washers 81 engaging opposite surfaces of the cup washer 80 and spaced nuts 82 are threadably mounted on the piston rod 77 and engage the remote surfaces of the respective washers 81 to thus secure the cup washer 80 on the right-hand end of the piston rod 77 in Figure 3. v

The cylinder head 76 has an annular projection or tubular portion 83 integral therewith which surrounds the piston rod 77 and is surrounded by one end of a coiled compression spring 85. Of course, the compression spring 77 surrounds the exposed portion of the piston rod 77 and its left hand end in Figure 3 is mounted on a pilot sleeve 86 slidably mounted on the piston rod 77 and which bears against a lock nut 87 threadably mounted on the piston rod 77.

The outer end of the piston rod 77 has a follower member or bumper 90 fixed thereon as by being threaded thereonto and which, in the course of each backward stroke of the lay 22 and sword 20, engages a cam member or abutment 91 which is shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 as being made from strap metal and which has a spirally bent substantially right angular portion 92 integral therewith and being provided with an adjustment slot 93 therein which is penetrated by a screw 94 for securing the cam or abutment 91 in the desired adjusted position relative to the sword 20 to thus control the effective stroke of the piston 80.

The cylinder 70 is fixed to the sword 20 by means of a bracket or plate 95 in which the cylinder 70 is suitably secured, as by welding, and which plate is secured against the rear surface of the lower portion of the sword 20 by any suitable means such as a U-bolt 96 (Figures 1, 2 and 3). The cylinder 70 has a port or vent 98 therein adjacent the cylinder head 76 which is provided to permit ingress and egress of air between the piston 80 and the cylinder head 76 upon movement of the piston 80 longitudinally of the cylinder 70.

It will be observed in Figure 2 that the pipe or tubular member 75 extends upwardly from the pipe fitting 73 along the sword 20 and then extends inwardly horizontally in front of the sword 20 and in a suitable groove or passageway 100 provided therefor in the lay 22 beneath the corresponding bottom box plate 24 of the shuttle box 23. The pipe or tubular member 75 has a relatively short, straight portion 75a thereon which is provided with a row of upwardly directed perforations or openings 102 therein and which is also provided with a row of forwardly directed perforations or openings 103 therein for directing compressed air forwardly along the bottom of the end well 42 and for also directing compressed air upwardly past the front face of the filling fork grate 46. The pipe 75 also has an off-set portion 75b which extends longitudinally of the lay 22 in the groove 35 heretofore described as being formed between the lay 22 and the loose reed holder 31.

The central or medial portion of the loose reed holder 31 has a notch or groove 105 therein which is provided for reception of a substantially U-shaped rearwardly bent portion 750 of the pipe or tubular member 75 and which is disposed beneath the lower edge of the reed 36 as is clearly shown in Figure 6. The front surface of this rearwardly bent substantially U-shaped portion 750 is provided with a row of openings 106 (Figure 8) disposed in substantial alinement with the filling fork well 41 for purposes to be later described. The tubular member or pipe 75 then again extends along the groove 35, as at 75d and has a forwardly extending portion 75e integral therewith which slidably penetrates the lay 22 and the open free end of which terminates closely adjacent the cam 52 as will be observed in Figure 4.

It is thus seen that in the course of each backward or inactive stroke of the lay 22 the bumper 90 engages the cam or abutment 91 which restrains the piston 80 from further rearward movement and with continued rearward movement of the sword 20, the cylinder 70 moves rearwardly relative to the piston 80 so that compressed air is forced through the pipe fitting 73, past the check valve 74 and through the pipe 75 in Figure 3.

Of course, the compressed air is then exhausted through the openings 102 and 103 in the portion 75a of the pipe 75 and compressed air is also discharged through the openings 106 in the portion 750 of the pipe 75 at the rear end of the well 41 and compressed air is also discharged from the free end of the portion 75b of the pipe 75 and directed onto the knock-01f cam 52. In so doing, blasts of compressed air are directed upwardly adjacent the face of the grate 46 from the openings 102 and are directed forwardly along the well 42 from the discharge openings 103 and are also directed forwardly along the well 41.

It is thus seen that, upon each backward or inactive stroke of the lay 22 compressed air is directed into the wells 41 and 42, across the front face of the grate 46 and against the cam 52 to thus remove and prevent the accumulation of lint or other foreign matter thereon or therein and to thereby insure efficient operation of the filling forks 43 and 44 throughout the operation of the loom.

It is evident that, upon each forward or active stroke of the lay 22, the compression spring 85 (Figure 3) urges the piston rod 77 outwardly relative to the cylinder 70 and causes the piston 80 to move from right to left thus positioning the piston rod 77 and follower or bumper 90 for a repeat operation. The length of stroke of the piston 80 may be varied by adjusting the bracket or plate 95 vertically along the sword 20, since it is evident that the upper portion thereof moves a substantially greater distance than the lower portion thereof in the course of each stroke thereof. Also, the length of the stroke of the piston 80 and the time at which the bumper 90 engages the abutment 91 in the course of each back- 7..

ward stroke of the sword 20 and lay 22 may be varied by adjusting the abutment or cam 91 forwardly or rearwardly, this being facilitated by the adjustment slot 93 in the portion 92 of the abutment 91.

In the drawings and specification, there has been set 1.-

supporting said lay and extending adjacent said frame, the 3 combination of apparatus for removing and for preventing an accumulation of lint and the like in said groove comprising a tubular member extending adjacent said groove and being provided with at least one opening therein directed towards said groove, a cylinder mounted in fixed relation to said sword, a piston mounted for longitudinal movement in said cylinder and having a piston rod connected thereto and projecting rearwardly from said cylinder, spring means for normally urging said piston outwardly of said cylinder, means connecting said tubular member to the end of said cylinder remote from the end from which the piston rod projects, and means carried by said frame and being engageable with said piston rod in the course of each backward stroke of the lay and the sword whereby movement of the sword will cause the piston rod to move inwardly in said cylinder to cause a blast of air to be emitted from the opening in said tubular member adjacent the groove in the lay.

2. In a loom having a frame and also having at least one sword pivotally supported at its lower end by said frame, a lay carried by an upper portion of said sword, and said lay having at least one transverse filling fork well therein; the combination of means for preventing an accumulation of lint in said filling fork well comprising a cylinder mounted for up and down adjustment on the lower portion of said sword, a plunger projecting rearwardly from said cylinder, spring means normally urging the plunger outwardly of said cylinder, a pipe connected to one end of said cylinder and extending upwardly therefrom adjacent the sword and having a substantially horizontal upper portion thereon extending adjacent said filling fork well and having at least one opening therein, a piston on the end of said plunger disposed within the cylinder, and means on the frame engageable by said plunger upon each backward stroke of the lay to cause movement of the piston in the cylinder to thus direct a blast of air from the opening in the pipe into the filling fork Well for removing lint therefrom and whereby said spring means serves to return the plunger to its original position following each backward stroke of the lay.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

